Friday the 13th Part 2 Is a Classic, But Some of It Makes No Sense

by

In terms of ’80s slasher films, nothing surpassed the initial four installments of the “Friday the 13th” series. Sure, the fifth film had a rustic charm, the sixth was visionary, the seventh showcased the best Jason design, and the eighth is an enjoyable guilty pleasure, but the original quartet truly defined “Friday the 13th”. The 2009 reboot mimicked all four of these films. Originally, the holiday slasher wasn’t intended to spawn a series. It concluded with Alice Hardy surviving the night, beheading Mrs. Voorhees, and rowing away on a canoe, only to find herself back in a nightmare. At that point, Jason was just a figment of her imagination. However, given his introduction and how the film ended with her ominous statement, “Then he’s still there,” it was evident that Jason would be the key to the franchise’s continuation.

Step into the sequel of 1981’s “Friday the 13th Part 2”, which didn’t quite match the box office success of the first installment. However, it still managed to generate a substantial profit for Paramount, paving the way for “Friday the 13th Part III”. Despite being the least strong in the initial four-movie series, “Part III” is undeniably the most memorable. It’s peculiar, but that’s filmmaking for you! However, while “Part III” may be the weakest link in the robust chain of four films, “Part 2” struggles to make sense. The reasons are several, and yes, one of them involves Jason’s pulse.

So How Did Jason Find Alice?

Jason is persistent with his tasks, yet he’s not a detective. Most of “Friday the 13th Part 2” unfolds five years following the initial events of “Friday the 13th,” except for its opening sequence.

To start off, we find ourselves rejoining Alice Hardy, the solitary survivor of Mrs. Voorhees’ tragic massacre, who is now two months past that fateful night and residing in a secluded apartment. It’s uncertain if she has stayed near Crystal Lake, but it’s possible. However, one might question how Jason, should he still be there, could locate her. Moreover, how would he recognize her name, given that the encounter between Alice and his mother (which he may have witnessed) didn’t involve any verbal introductions or declarations like, “I am Alice Hardy! I grew up in these parts and find solace in familiar surroundings, even if it means being close to the source of my pain.

In an unexpected move, it’s shown that Jason makes the rare decision to contact someone by phone, followed by his entrance into her apartment. It’s intriguing how he managed this, given that he usually sticks close to Camp Crystal Lake and rarely ventures into town or seeks out specific people. This scene effectively sets the tone for the story.

“You Can’t Be Alive!”

To clarify, “Friday the 13th” wasn’t initially conceived as part of a larger series. Instead, it was created to capitalize on the success of John Carpenter’s “Halloween”, and it achieved this quite successfully. Interestingly, “Friday the 13th Part III” was intended to be the concluding chapter. This is why Chris Higgins strikes him with an axe – it was meant to deliver the final blow.

In other words, “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” was meant to be the concluding part, but “Friday the 13th Part 2” was designed to continue the storyline, much like it expanded upon the events from the first movie. So, when Ginny Field only struck him in the shoulder with a machete, that wasn’t a fatal blow.

It’s suggested that the fact Jason was portrayed as a mortal in Part 2 implies something. When constructing this part, it seems they intended Jason to be human. However, if he drowned in 1957 and his mother went on a rampage in 1979 (the setting of Friday the 13th, which was June 13th of 1979), then where was Jason during that time span?

This phenomenon has never been clarified. In the sequel (set five years after the initial movie), he appears to be 38, which seems plausible given his appearance. However, the fact that he managed to pull himself out of a lake at age 11 and survive in the woods on twigs and raw rabbits for 27 years remains unexplained. It’s a puzzle as to why he didn’t pay a visit to his mother between 1958 and 1979, but it’s still a riddle.

You Didn’t See Him? He Was Right There.

In Friday the 13th Part 2, several characters often break the fourth wall by looking straight at the camera. While other films in the series also employ this technique, Friday the 13th Part 2 stands out for doing it more frequently than any other film in the franchise.

Similar to the initial movie, there are instances where we find ourselves observing events from the perspective of the killer, as he discreetly watches an unsuspecting passerby nearby. While other entries in the series also employed this technique, it’s primarily after the first two films that we tend to observe Jason’s actions rather than experiencing them directly (with Mrs. Voorhees serving as the antagonist in the first film).

In part 2, it’s noticeable that certain characters seem to gaze straight at the man on occasion. For example, take Terry (as depicted earlier), who is searching for her pet dog, Muffin. As she calls out for the dog, Jason is stationed behind one of the cabins. Terry approaches the cabin and fixes her gaze squarely on him (and the camera and us), maintains this focus for a moment, then departs. The camera remains static during this interaction. Given the proximity, it’s hard to deny that she noticed him; in fact, it seems inevitable.

In the third act, when Ginny is hiding from Jason, her head often peeks out from behind her car, creating a small shadow. However, it appears that director Steve Miner could have requested another take and asked Amy Steel to lower herself a bit further. Concerning Terry’s gaze directly at Jason, this isn’t so much a mistake as it is a questionable logical choice.

The Paul of It All

The conclusion of ‘Friday the 13th Part 2′ leaves viewers puzzled. Let me explain the sequence of events. Essentially, Ginny manages to evade Jason, lands some hits on him, and later discovers the shack where he seems to have been hiding for years. Inside, she finds the decapitated head of Mrs. Voorhees, along with Terry, a decayed Alice, and Deputy Winslow’s bodies. Upon entering the shack, Ginny puts on Mrs. Voorhees’ sweater, which temporarily confuses Jason. Ginny’s boyfriend (the leader of Packanack Lodge, where most of the film unfolds) named Paul, arrives and engages in a fight with Jason. This fight lasts long enough for Ginny to plunge a machete into Jason’s shoulder.

Everything’s good there. In fact, it might be the finest conclusion for the series. It continues directly from where “Friday the 13th Part III” begins, but it doesn’t align with the ending of “Friday the 13th Part 2.”

In the finale of Friday the 13th Part 2, Paul guides Ginny away from the cabin and into another for a moment’s respite. Suddenly, there are sounds of scratching at the door, causing them both to suspect it might be Jason. Paul grabs the handle of a pitchfork as a makeshift club, while Ginny grips the remainder of the broken pitchfork (the piece Jason had attempted to use on Ginny, but the chair he was standing on had cracked).

In a shocking moment similar to when Jason emerged from the lake in the initial movie, Jason violently breaks through the window, letting out a bloodcurdling scream, before snatching Ginny away from the cabin. The scene then shifts to sunlight, revealing Ginny being transported in an ambulance. She implores for Paul, but neither the absent Paul nor the paramedics respond.

As a movie buff, I’ve always found it hard to wrap my head around the sequence of events in Friday the 13th Part 2 – it seems like an illogical jump for many viewers. Here’s why: According to Friday the 13th Part III, Jason was supposedly stuck in his shack after taking a machete wound to the shoulder. This means that anything that happened afterward could potentially be just Ginny’s imagination. However, it was Paul who gave Ginny the chance to strike Jason with the machete, so logically, Paul should have been present. But if Jason was in his shack and Paul was there too, then how did what followed actually happen? It leaves me scratching my head every time I watch this classic slasher flick!

In the recap of Friday the 13th Part III, the final jump scare from Part 2 is not included, leading some viewers to question if it actually occurred. So, what really happened? Was Paul able to reach the shack after returning to Packanack Lodge with Ginny, or did he meet his end when Jason initially surprised him (as Ginny screamed “Paul, there’s someone in this damn room!”)? If Paul survived that encounter and managed to make it to the shack, did Jason then kill him inside while they were fighting, giving Ginny the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow? Or did Paul abandon Ginny once Jason was subdued? These possibilities seem unlikely.

Maybe Friday the 13th Part 2 is similar to riding a thrilling roller coaster. You don’t ponder over its inner workings, instead, you simply hold on tight and enjoy the excitement!

Stream Friday the 13th Part 2 for free on Hoopla or rent it on Prime Video.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/crystal-lake-friday-the-13th-show-begins-filming/embed/#

Read More

2025-07-06 19:43